Allan Watched "The Eyes of Tammy Faye"
A biopic that lacks no pace, but a bit of substance, The Eyes of Tammy Faye is a well acted story of one of American pop culture’s more bizarre couples, and wastes no time with minute details in order to cover a large amount of ground.
Gut Feeling
It was hard to imagine what a biopic about Tammy Faye made by The State’s Michael Showalter would look like, but The Eyes of Tammy Faye is exactly what that combination should produce: a subtly funny, chaotic, and entertaining film about the first couple of television evangelicals.
If most biopics suffer from harping on certain aspects of the subject’s life too much (see the choices made in Respect) The Eyes of Tammy Faye is the opposite: it really doesn’t pay too much attention to in-depth details about the couple or covering new ground, but instead the film acts as a nice Sparknotes-glance of Faye’s life. In all, the films leading star brings enough juice to the thin story to make this one of the more successful biopics of the last couple of years.
Chastain’s Award-Worthy Performance
The film’s lifeblood is the blazing portrayal of the lead subject by Jessica Chastain, one that will undoubtedly lead to many nominations and has already received a constant stream of well-earned praise. It is probably Chastain’s best performance since Zero Dark Thirty, and her transformation as the bubbly, naive, and charming Faye through multiple decades of her trying life is a sight to behold. This is just one of the awaited films from Chastain in 2021, with The Forgiven being widely available soon after a success release at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Chastain has a busy award season ahead of her for sure.
There is also some buzz from regarding Chastain’s counterpart in this film, Andrew Garfield. Garfield plays Faye’s husband, the convicted criminal Jim Bakker, right on the nose to the point where in verges on satire, but his vibrantly nutty portrayal is a joy to watch, and the scenes when Bakker’s life is unraveling lead to some of Garfield’s best moments in the film. Garfield also has another big release in 2021, playing the late Jonathan Larsen in Tick, Tick… Boom!, Larsen’s first musical, which he wrote before Rent, that is also the directorial debut of Lin-Manuel Miranda.
A Script That Pulls No Punches
There have been plenty of stories, including documentaries and many a think-piece, that covers the life of this famous couple that took the country by storm, created an evangelical TV empire and led to a criminal operation, but none I imagine take as much joy in showing the blemishes of this couple. If you know Showalter and his work, you know that a greedy couple that abused the generosity of other believers in the name of faith is a dream subject for sketch comedy legend, and it shows in the script.
The film more follows the trajectory of their empire, from literally nothing, to touring town to town in a car they couldn’t afford, to linking up with Pat Robertson and creating the 700 Club, to 20 million viewers a day on their own network, and ultimately their demise, and less about Faye. Faye is easily the most respectable character in the film and is treated as such, while you can feel the joy Showalter had when getting to highlight the hypocrisy and downfall of Bakker. It all leaves you wishing there was more depth to the story, but the film gives you everything else you need to enjoy The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
Random Thoughts
I didn’t know too much about Tammy Faye heading into the film, but I did know she went against the grain of her peers in her support of LGBTQ+ causes, and I am glad it gets its due in the film. Faye was complicated, but her heart seemed to be mostly pure, and that is captured beautifully by Chastain.
The supporting cast pads the film well with solid performances. The great and wildly under-appreciated Cherry Jones by far shines the brightest a Rachel LaValley, Fayes mother. She almost acts as the lie detector of the film, alerting us to the sideways actions we are about to see from her daughter and son-in-law.
Vincent D’Onofrio is very strong as the Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell, who had his own checkered past, and D’Onofrio’s performance is probably the best of the religious TV powers highlighted in the film. Gabriel Olds takes the reins of the other prominent celebrity figure, televangelist Pat Robertson, but Olds hardly breaks a sweat in his scenes.
Although there is no true “title drop” in the film (it would be beyond cheesy if someone actually said “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” in a sentence), the movie does begin with a visual title drop, which is even more rare.
This film must set the record for the most times one single name is said. Chastain may not be able to say the word “Jim” again for as long she lives.
Chastain really is great in the movie, and for a lot of it you can’t believe it is still her beneath the makeup and aging add-ons put on her as Faye gets older.
This film is actually just an ad for Diet Coke, a really good one at that.
Chastain’s puppet voice will haunt me for a while.
There are some really over-the-top choices, normally centering around Garfield, to the point where it feels like outright satire, to the film’s detriment.
Chastain and Garfield both have real chances at two-nomination award showings this season. Considering how many big films were delayed due to COVID, it wouldn’t be a surprise if there are several multi-nominated actors within the different big-time award shows.
It really bothered me that I couldn’t figure out where I’d seen Sam Jaeger before, who plays Roe Messner in the film. Then it hit me that he was the nervous husband of an expecting mother who was having a pregnancy issue in the classic episode of Scrubs, “My Philosophy”. Jaeger needed to find the courage to make a tough decision, much like the rest of our heroes on my favorite sitcom of all time.
Quick Hits:
How many times have I seen this movie?
This was the first time, saw it on opening night.
Where was I watching it?
The usual place, with the usual popcorn, diet root beer, and companion, Kellye. Throughout the film you could 100% hear Shang-Chi playing in the next room, which was distracting, but God bless that film. I almost just walked out of this one to see that classic again.
Favorite trivia about the movie
Kellye and I represented .004% of the opening weekend box office gross, as the film pulled a measly $675,000. Yikes.
Favorite part
The parts at the end where we see Tammy Faye much older, trying to figure out life after stardom is probably the most effective storytelling of the film. It could have benefitted from similar deeper examinations of the main characters.
Least favorite part
That cursed puppet voice.
Would I recommend this movie?
Chastain is so good that it is worth your time, and the film is by no means boring.
So What Does Allan Give It?
One Gold Thumbs Up! Overall, a score of 76. An entertaining sprint of a biopic with a leading star who shows off why she is one of the best in the business.
